Even If It Hurts

By: Marni Mann

Narrated by: Ava Erickson, Shane East

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

When you have a perfect marriage, only an impossible reconnection could make you risk it all. 

Oliver

When I met her, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. We were so young and so passionate. We studied business in the day and each other’s bodies at night. We always knew it would end with the semester, so we loved hard with no regrets.

Lance

When I met her, I couldn’t get her off my mind. We were fresh out of college and ready to take on the world. We fit each other like missing puzzle pieces. And just when I thought my life was perfect, it got better. She became my wife.

Chloe

I met my first love while studying abroad in London. When I moved home, I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again. Until I met him. The man who became my husband. The one I promised a lifetime to. Then, my first love came back into my life, and I realized that love was bigger than any one man.

From USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann comes Even If It Hurts, an emotionally charged contemporary romance. 

©2020 Marni Mann (P)2020 Marni Mann

Beautiful & Moving Narration Makes This Book!

There are two reasons I purchased this book and they are very simple: Marni Mann writes amazing stories and Shane East is one of the two very accomplished narrators reading her words. Both of those reasons are enough for me to purchase the book, but to write a review, that’s because I have been moved.

Moving story telling is what Ms. Mann does & is beyond prolific at accomplishing. I always know that when I have her story in my ears, I’m in for a ride of love, lust, passion and twists. “Even If It Hurts” is no different, however the plot is not something I’ve ever experienced before, so I’m glad I took this journey with the narrators.

Ava Erickson portrays Chloe Kennedy using her honey-like tones transform into being a young, naive girl exploring love for the first time in London. I was step for step with Chloe as she found someone in Oliver that was sweet, kind, and passionate for his Beautiful Girl. All the feelings of first time with someone caring for you as a young woman with respect and love; I just wanted to stay in that bubble forever. But, as we all experience, we have to make choices, with the hardest ones when you let someone go knowing that is what’s best for them. My heart was breaking for Chloe, but Oliver was a knight-in-shining-armor being strong to say goodbye.

Then we stay with Chloe as she moves into part two of the book, letting go of Oliver but not moving on – just working more hours in that spot of early adulthood where you try to grow your career and making ends meet. In walks her Forever Love. Not going to lie – I fell in love with Lance Hamilton from the first page of his appearance. Ms. Mann writes the character all straight women want in their lives – one who wants to be with them from moment one. As Chloe falls for Lance we see her thoughts and his words reflecting the massive amounts of care he has for her. My heart was squeezing when their passion would light the pages on fire – I was bursting with happiness!

Like the book blurb tells us, she sees Oliver again – so many years after he let her go. This is where I get mad at the characters. Honesty, I was angry; ranting to my husband as I listened to Chloe talk about her feelings for both of these men in her life. How dare she do that to Lance! How dare she hide from her best friend! Molly is the epitome of all the best girl friends we have in our lives; willing to hold the mirror up when we desperately need to move on or wake the heck up. I was peeved at Chloe for most of the third act, through to the last page of Chapter 48.

And Shane East walks in at Chapter 49 and takes all that anger, all that resentment, turns it 180 degrees and shatters my heart into pieces. The performance is so perfectly executed that there is nothing to do but let the tears fall like rain. The words in the final chapter in Shane’s voice are going to stick with me for a very long time; Even If It Hurts.

It hurts

This hit so close to home.... and it still hurts. Loved every word! This is now my favorite book/audible EVER! ♥️

Definitely not her best.

Hmmm…. Where do I begin… I’ve read 2 of Marni Mann’s novels before this (When Ashes Fall and Unblocked; check out my reviews for those) and I really enjoyed them. With the exception of the unrealistically young ages of the main characters at the top of their respective professions, I felt the stories to be heartfelt and somewhat complex, leaving me very fulfilled. As well, the intimate scenes were intense and enjoyable, and fitting to the characters and the story. By comparison, Even If It Hurts is a major letdown.

First, THE NARRATION: while Shane East’s narration technically makes an appearance, he narrates for Oliver for literally just a few minutes at the end of the book, not really adding to the story at all. It was enjoyable to hear him, and his English accent was nice (better than Ava Erickson’s by a lot), It barely qualifies. The whole book (minus those couple pages) is from Chloe’s perspective, and so Ava Erickson essentially narrates the whole book. Her English accent is terrible.

Spoilers!!!
THE STORY: This book reads like a wish list for someone who has a “Prince Charming” complex and is okay with infidelity. Chloe’s second relationship bares so many similarities to her first. And not in an interesting, profound way, but in a repetitive way. The scenes in each relationship drawled on and on, with the only real conflict being the affair Chloe chooses to engage in. AND, there’s a good chunk of time leading up to the affair where she is putting herself in a compromising way, leading Oliver on, not disclosing to her husband that she is in communication with her ex, and the reader is just cringing at what we know is coming. Admittedly, a lot of my issue with this book is my strong stance against cheating. I don’t think cheating is acceptable under any circumstances. The fact that she did it, got away with it, and that was essentially the full scope of the story… well I found it thoroughly unsatisfying. Save your money.

Ok but mad bc Shane East only 12 min.

I purchased the book ONLY bc of Shane East and he only narrated for 12 min at the end! I think it is false advertising not tell us that.
The female was just ok. The story was ok.

A well written story of Heartbreak💔

This has been one of the most emotionally heartbreaking books I’ve read this year. Marni writes a story of a young woman who loves more then once. She writes in amazing detail how it affects her emotionally and physically. It’s a journey that was amazing and sad and frustrating. She writes out of the box and you need to think out of the box to understand the journey. I won’t lie, it was hard but well written. I cried when I was done. I have no other words then for you to read and think with a mind of a love that’s branding. Also, the narration was amazing. I felt all the emotions thru their voice.

narration excellent story not so good

i am not comfortable with cheating for no reason - her husband was all any woman could ask for and she cheats on him??? not for me i could not relate.

Depressing and heavy!

Not fun! I didn’t enjoy because when I embrace a book is to scape reality! Not my kind of reading. They didn’t have cellphone with cameras thirty years ago, as time goes on the story, where's was the editor to catch this time gap and the technology available back then? I deep regret buying this book, sorry. Not much of Shane East, just on the epilogue, why?. I hate the end! I hate the story!

Seriously terrible plot, but the actors were awesome

If you’ve ever been in love with more than one person at a time? Skip this book.

If you’re mature enough to become friends with people you loved romantically, and who always treated you right? Skip this book.

I will never want to listen to it again and will be returning it. I was expecting heartbreak from the title. I wasn’t expecting to be disgusted with all the characters (yes, all of them) at the end.

Tissues

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this author, but it won’t be the last.. I am heart broken.. I am a very angry.. I am in shock.. I can not spoil this for you even this I searched the web for a spoiler because I couldn’t finish this book fastest even... my heart aches... I sobbed.. like a baby... first love.. deep love.. love in general.. get ready.

I needed to cry

I bought this book because it was on someone's ugly cry list.

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but I didn't cry until the last chapter, and that kind of pissed me off. I loved the book, but why did it wait until the last chapter to hit? lol